Thou Jests
by Angel Tsuiraku
Summary: Please R&R! Just some light fun. Romance/surprise pairings. 1xOC, 2xOC, 4xOC, and 5xOC...No good at summaries...
1. Invitations

Thou Jests: Part 1  
  
Duo Maxwell beamed with confidence as he studied his adversary. Very pretty. Too bad he was going to have to kick her ass. They didn't call him death for nothing, after all. In her hands were daggers. Daggers. He snickered. How very outdated.  
  
Suddenly her eyes flashed. He tensed, waiting for her to make her move, when—  
  
"Ah crap. I forgot my lines." Angel Tsuiraku let her arms fall to her sides with a sigh.  
  
Duo burst out laughing. "That's good, 'cause I did, too!"  
  
The producers shook their heads and smiled at each other. On screen, the chemistry between the two was incredible. Off, they were a pair of goofballs.  
  
"So, Duo…" Angel beamed at him and slid a sly arm around his waist. "When are you gonna let me drive your Viper?"  
  
Duo looked at her in mock disapproval. "Now, Angel, I thought we'd talked about this…I'm not letting you near my precious Shinimegami."  
  
"Why ShiniMEgami?" she asked.  
  
"Hey, my car's a chick. It wouldn't be right for me to slide into a guy."  
  
Angel winced. "Yeah, I see your point."  
  
Duo laughed and easily scooped her up and tossed her onto a couch. "Read your lines, you," he ordered.  
  
"Yes, sir!" With a smart salute, Angel picked up her script. After a few moments, she glanced at him slyly. "You coming over tonight?"  
  
"Of course! Yeesh, as if I would miss out on Mako's cooking."  
  
Angel beamed at him. "Bringing your friends?"  
  
"Who? The guys? Yeah, they're coming."  
  
"Great!"  
  
Content, Angel snuggled back down into the couch and re-read the scene while the cast took a quick coffee break. They'd been shooting all day.  
  
"Hey, Ang…will I get to meet the new girl?"  
  
"Mei Lyn?" Angel looked up at him and smiled again. "Yup. She'll probably be shy. She did just come from Japan, after all."  
  
Duo laughed. "Yeah. Well, if I can put up with Heero and Wufei, I can put up with anything." He casually slid an arm over the back of the seat behind her shoulders. Angel felt the flush heat her cheeks right away.  
  
And we're not even dating! Man, when he gets a girlfriend…  
  
Duo was just the kind of guy that was totally comfortable with people, especially girls. Angel grinned at him.  
  
"One of these days I'll get you a girlfriend," she promised. Duo laughed.  
  
"Whatever you say, little one."  
  
And they smiled at each other.  
  
~~  
  
It had been a few years since the Eve Wars. About six, Duo mused as he strolled into the Preventors' headquarters. They'd all settled into their respective jobs. For a while Heero was an engineer, but then settled to become a shuttle mechanic and pilot. Duo had skipped from mechanic to actor, finding the entertainment world more to his liking. Plus, a painful break from Hilde had deterred him from competing with her in business anyway. Trowa continued to travel with the circus, touching in when he could.  
  
Quatre was perhaps the busiest of them all. He was the head of his large family and the head of Winner Enterprises, as well as working closely with the Vice Foreign Minister to further unification between the earth and the colonies and somehow managed to keep the Maganac in employment.  
  
Wufei had stayed on with the Preventors, even after his own breakup with Sally Po. He and Duo, surprisingly, had become close friends. They'd been the only ones capable of keeping in touch regularly.  
  
Smiling brightly at his friends, Duo plopped down into an overstuffed couch.  
  
"So…"  
  
"A new movie, Duo?" Quatre asked with a smile. No matter how busy he was, Quatre often took the time to watch Duo's new movies.  
  
"Yup. I just got off the set, in fact."  
  
"Same costar?"  
  
"Yeah. The company seems to think we work magic together."  
  
"And are you working magic together, Maxwell?" Wufei asked, his dark eyes teasing.  
  
Duo grinned. "Nope." This seemed to surprise the others. "Hey, I can keep my pants on around a girl!"  
  
"The question is, does she get to keep hers on?"  
  
"Wufei!"  
  
They all noticed the slight flush on Duo's cheeks. "Angel's not like that, okay? She's like a little sister. I'm telling you, she's tiny. Five-two, tops."  
  
Heero snorted. "That's never stopped you before."  
  
"You're just mean!"  
  
Even Trowa seemed amused by this teasing. It was good to be back with his friends. They stayed too far apart for too much of the time, in his opinion.  
  
"Anyway…I've gotten you all invitations to dinner. Prepare to be amazed! Mako can cook like a goddess!"  
  
The others all looked at him, rather worried.  
  
"Oh, Duo…" Quatre sighed. Duo would even eat Cathy's food, and that was saying something.  
  
"Trust me!"  
  
Everyone else groaned. 


	2. The Meeting

Thou Jests: Part Two, The Meeting  
  
Amazing what the words, "Five guys are coming over for dinner," could do. Angel beamed at her friends as they scurried around her cozy little home.  
  
They were a striking group, from many different backgrounds. And all five were heart-stopping beauties. Which most of them hated.  
  
Makoto Tanaka was tall for a Japanese woman. Her hair was fiery gold and her eyes deep, sparkling green. She had a voluptuous body, and if a look could kill, you didn't want to be around when she shot a glare your way. Hidden on her body, heaven knows where, were two guns. She was Angel's closest friend.  
  
Aisha Iwakura was full-blown Jordanian, though she tended to act much more American at times. She had a permanent tan, and hair the color of honey in the shade. Her eyes were deep, dark violet…eyes most humans didn't have.  
  
Blade was perhaps the most mysterious one. Tilting her head, Angel mused about her origins. Probably European…maybe even French, but she wouldn't go so far as to ask. Blade's hair went from red to black, cut ruthlessly short. Her body was all graceful curves. She was the tallest. But perhaps the most catching thing about Blade were her golden eyes.  
  
Angel herself was the shortest. Her own body was lean and pale. She had hair that was every blonde and brown you could imagine, though the bangs that framed her face were pure golden blonde. She had sparkling midnight- blue-and-silver eyes. She was, in a word, cute. But underneath that charade there was a sensual side to her, as well.  
  
Lian Nataku was the Chinese woman. Once she had been the younger twin daughter in a proud Chinese clan. After her sister Meiran was murdered, however, she left the clan in search of her former brother-in-law. She had raven-black hair and midnight-colored eyes, complete with the all of the striking beauty those of her race possessed.  
  
Mei Lyn Tsukishiro was the most recent and the youngest addition to their group. She was a beautiful young Japanese woman, three years younger than the rest. She was normally quiet, still adjusting to this new, open lifestyle. More often than not, though, she opened up to Angel. They had become close friends.  
  
"Relax, you guys!" Angel called to them. They were all in various states of dress or makeup application. "It's just my pal Duo and a few of his friends."  
  
"OhMyGod!" Aisha squealed, grabbing Angel's arm. "Duo MAXWELL?"  
  
"Uh…yeah," she replied, a bit confused.  
  
"I love him…!"  
  
"God, I hope this doesn't turn out like that boy-band obsession," Blade whispered loudly to Mako. Mako laughed, and Angel and Lian had to fight their laughter down.  
  
"I remember that," Lian agreed.  
  
Aisha shushed them. "You're all so damn cruel!" she snapped, and stalked toward Angel's room. Angel blinked at her.  
  
"Where're you going, sweetie?" she called.  
  
"To change! If Duo Maxwell's coming over, I wanna look good!"  
  
~~  
  
"Trust me, you guys, Mako's cooking is sooooo good! And there are six girls there! And one of them's a foreign exchange student!" Duo was beaming as he led the guys toward Angel's house. "I only know Mako and Angel…but they're cool, so I bet their friends will be too!"  
  
Quatre shook his head. "Maybe letting him have coffee was a bad idea," he commented softly to Trowa. Trowa smiled a little bit in answer.  
  
"I think you're right," he agreed, equally quiet. Behind them trailed Heero and Wufei. Both, as usual, were lost in thought. Both were silent. Quatre shook his head again and sighed.  
  
Duo knocked on the door three times when they reached it, then launched into another explanation about the girls. Quatre had seen Angel onscreen. She was cute, short…probably right up Duo's alley, he decided finally.  
  
Nothing prepared him, though, for the mini-whirlwind that answered the door. Her eyes glowed with laughter and a little mischief, and her smile was warm and inviting.  
  
"Duo!" She launched herself into his arms with all the familiarity of lovers or close friends. Duo returned the embraced wholeheartedly.  
  
"These are my buddies. That's Heero, Tro, Q-man, and Wufei. Hee- chan, Wu, and Tro probably won't talk much, though…" He smiled at her easily. "What's for dinner."  
  
"You'll have to wait and find out," she said, grinning.  
  
Once inside, Quatre was greeted with a few more surprises. All six of the girls were absolutely gorgeous. The others, even Duo, seemed equally effected.  
  
Finally, smiling, Quatre introduced himself and said, "So this is where God hides his angels."  
  
That won him a round of dazzling smiles. Smiling back, Quatre decided it was going to be a wonderful evening.  
  
~~  
  
Heero, too, had noticed the girls' beauty. One in particular. She had introduced herself as Makoto.  
  
Sincerity, he translated silently. But that's a man's name. Still, it suites…  
  
He hadn't been this riled up over anyone since that little girl and her puppy…  
  
"A pleasure," he said finally, glancing round the group. And then he, as always, fell silent and watched Mako with those piercing cobalt eyes.  
  
~~  
  
Wufei hung back, his eyes upon Lian. His former sister-in-law. The very mirror image of his late wife.  
  
"Lian." After all, Wufei wasn't one to back down from his duties. He watched her eyes cloud over as he stepped forward.  
  
"Chang Wufei. You dishonor my family by showing your face to me."  
  
Wufei tried hard to keep his frustration in check. This was the girl he'd once loved. The one he'd chosen above Meiran, even, and yet she was glaring at him with contempt.  
  
"Lian…Let me explain."  
  
"For her honor, Wufei?"  
  
Wufei could but nod.  
  
"Hmph. You're lucky I'm in a good mood!" she scolded, and Wufei saw the laughing light in her eyes that he'd fallen in love with. Breathing a sigh of relief – for a woman?! – he took a seat.  
  
~~  
  
Trowa was the only one who wasn't shocked. His eyes roamed the room instead. He seemed bored.  
  
"Well, now that everyone knows everyone," Angel announced, her arm placed casually about Duo's waist. "Are you all hungry?"  
  
Duo's eyes lit up. "You bet!"  
  
Mako nodded and began leading them all toward the table. Duo caught Angel's arm as she moved to follow.  
  
"Sweetie…"  
  
Angel turned that winning smile his way. "Come on, Duo, we'll talk after we eat."  
  
Duo nodded and followed her, trying to ignore Aisha, who was trying hard not to stare.  
  
Angel glanced Mei's way, and they smiled. In such handsome company, everyone felt relaxed and tense at the same time. They both smiled a bit wider as the same thought crossed their minds, then glanced around the table. Already, Angel and Mei were forming matches in their minds…  
  
This could, Angel decided, turn out to be quite an amusing evening. 


	3. Dinner and Discussion

1 Thou Jests Three  
  
Dinner went pleasantly enough. Duo, Angel, and Mei kept the group amused. And maybe he was imagining it, but Quatre thought that Duo's eyes came to rest on Angel quite a bit during the dinner.  
  
He shook his head. He was imagining it. Had to be. They were just friends, at Duo's own insistence. He shook his head and sighed. What was wrong with him? He'd never cared about Duo's conquests before.  
  
But maybe it was that he didn't want to see such a happy, innocent girl burnt by Duo's lack of commitment.  
  
Mei, who had warmed up quite a bit during dinner, touched his arm. Her laughing eyes met his gaze and she smiled up at him.  
  
"What's the matter, hm? Eat a red pepper?" she asked. Quatre smiled down at her, warmed by the look in her eyes.  
  
"No, not yet. I probably will before the night's over." He took a sip of water, watching her slender hands pick up her chopsticks.  
  
"I did. Mako didn't warn me." She shot the older woman a venomous look. Mako only smiled back innocently. Quatre laughed at this comfortable exchange.  
  
What a charming girl, he thought, and sipped his water again.  
  
~~  
  
Angel saw the looks Quatre was giving Mei, but was forced to choke down sudden jealousy. She turned instead to Duo, flashing him her brightest, most charming smile.  
  
"So, Duo…how long are you in town this time?"  
  
"Oh, just until this shoot's over."  
  
She tossed a quick look Mei's way, then looked back to Duo. "Wanna do something? We could take Aisha, too. She's a big fan of yours."  
  
Mako shot Angel a warning look. She knew what this was going to lead to. She knew that Angel was just setting herself up for heartbreak…  
  
"Sure." Duo was grinning.  
  
Damn, Mako thought, and bit viciously into her food.  
  
"Hey all!" a voice drifted in. Everyone looked up to see a young man, about Mei's age, walk into the room with a smile and a few bags. "Oh, company." He tossed his keys onto the counter and set a large brown bag down. His voice had a hint of the English brogue, but the newcomers could tell he wasn't full English. He settled down with a smile. "I'm Eric."  
  
After a round of introductions, Eric joined in the food. He seemed most interested in Quatre and his work. He asked questions throughout the remainder of the meal.  
  
Finally, Aisha stood up. "I think we should all get together for drinks at O'Malley's!"  
  
There was a moment of silence, then a chorus of agreement.  
  
"So it's settled. We'll get to meet the famous Louie, and you girls get to hang out with God's gifts to the female race," Duo announced, and beamed.  
  
Angel laughed. "Something like that."  
  
~~  
  
"Dinner went well!" Aisha was still beaming, even more head-over- heals with Duo than she had been before the dinner. Angel laughed and rinsed off dishes.  
  
"Yeah, it did." She winked at Aisha. "I think he likes you."  
  
"Who? Duo? REALLY?" Aisha began her patented hop-until-you-die-of- excitement bit, which always made the others laugh.  
  
Even Mei was still grinning. "Mr. Winner is really good at what he does."  
  
"Yeah, you bet." Angel's voice held a similar appreciative tone.  
  
"And he's so handsome…"  
  
"Those eyes…"  
  
"And his voice…"  
  
"The way his hair curls…"  
  
"You two make me sick," Mako growled lightly.  
  
"Well…you were looking at the Japanese guy!" Mei yelled, then ducked behind Angel.  
  
"Oh, sure…hide behind the short one."  
  
"Did you see the Japanese guy?" Mako retorted. "Sexy."  
  
"No! Duo is sexy!"  
  
"You're all wrong." Lian frowned at them. "Wufei is the sexiest."  
  
This started quite a bit of rucus. Eric laughed at them all and picked up his keys.  
  
"I think I'm going home now. Do you need a ride to Louie's, Mei?"  
  
"Sure!" Mei was staying with Louie O'Malley. She bounced down the steps with Eric, chattering about school and business.  
  
"So, like I was saying," Angel said after bidding the two goodbye, "I think that Quatre and Duo are pretty sexy…"  
  
~~  
  
Duo nudged Heero as they walked toward the estate. "So, what'd you think of them, eh? Pretty sweet, aren't they? And gorgeous!"  
  
Quatre laughed at him. "If someone were to give you pretty girls and food, you'd be happy for the rest of your life, Duo."  
  
"Damn straight!"  
  
"Hn. It was fine."  
  
Wufei said nothing. His thoughts were on Lian. In fact, nothing could get his thoughts off of Lian. Gritting his teeth, he headed straight for his room.  
  
Trowa followed suite, bored with the topic.  
  
"What'd you think, Q-man? Any of them you like in particular?"  
  
"They were all very pretty. Mako is intelligent and interesting to talk to, Mei is cute and sweet, Angel is funny, Blade is quiet but very smart, Aisha is loud and fun, and Lian has a lot of worldly knowledge."  
  
"But your favorites?"  
  
"Duo…I…"  
  
"Come on!"  
  
"Mei and Angel. They're both very cute."  
  
Duo smiled. "I figured you'd get a kick out of Angel. Careful, though…it takes a lot to make her mad, but once she is…and Mei! I'd never met her before, but she's great!"  
  
Quatre laughed and shook his head. "I think you need some rest. Up to bed."  
  
They retired up to their rooms, and for the first time, Quatre wasn't thinking about work as he slid into bed. 


	4. Movie and Louie's

1 Thou Jests Four  
  
The morning dawned brightly, and Mei was smiling as she rolled out of bed. She stood, stretched, and slid on her slippers, then headed out into the restaurant.  
  
"Morning," she called to Louie O'Malley. He was her 'father' while she was in England on an exchange program. He also owned the restaurant O'Malley's, which she resided in along with Louie and his wife, Elizabeth.  
  
"Mornin' darlin'," he replied in his thick English brogue.  
  
"You're up early," came another voice. Startled, Mei whirled. Sitting at a booth beside the front window was Angel, sipping breakfast tea and skimming the newspaper.  
  
"What're you doing here?" Mei asked, willing her heart to stop thumping so hard. Angel glanced up from the headlines, smiling.  
  
"Getting some tea."  
  
"And a wee bit of free breakfast," Louie threw in, setting down a steaming plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, and biscuits and gravy in front of her.  
  
"That too," she agreed with a nonchalant shrug. Mei slid into the booth as Louie went back to fix her a plate of the same.  
  
"You English," she said, watching Angel set aside the paper and dig into the biscuits and gravy, "eat the weirdest food."  
  
"Us English?" Angel laughed. "What about you and your raw fish and white rice, hmmm?"  
  
"Aye! Or the French and their escargot and caviar?" Louie agreed, setting down Mei's plate and sliding into the booth next to Angel. He sipped at a mug of hot coffee. "Raw fish eggs and snails. I never will understand French food. Snails, a delicacy!" He laughed. "If I wanted snail, I'd just go pluck them off the neighbor's fence."  
  
Mei gave into the laughter bubbling up inside of her, seeing Angel do the same. Then the older girl sobered and nailed Meilin with a look.  
  
"What?" she asked innocently.  
  
"How serious are you about Quatre?" Angel managed.  
  
"Uhm…why?"  
  
Angel shook her head. "He's been burnt badly before," she explained. "At least from what Duo was telling me. So be serious."  
  
"Angel, I wasn't…I mean, I don't even know him, and…and…"  
  
"She likes Eric," Louie finished, eyes lit with laughter as he sipped his coffee again.  
  
"Well, yeah…" Mei agreed, and blushed.  
  
Angel relaxed and went back to eating her breakfast. "Just checking."  
  
"Why…why does it matter to you?"  
  
Angel glanced at Mei and shrugged. "Just don't want to see the poor guy get hurt. He's one of Duo's best friends, so naturally I know a lot about him. He sounds like a really good guy."  
  
"And she thinks he's 'hot'," Louie added mischievously.  
  
"Is that so wrong?"  
  
Mei laughed. "Don't worry. I think he's cute, too."  
  
~*~  
  
Duo was singing in the shower again. Quatre wondered whether or not it would be profitable to buy the man voice-lessons. Then he smiled.  
  
In fact, he hadn't stopped smiling since his delightful dinner the night before. He rapped on the door to the bathroom, humming along with the song Duo was belting out.  
  
"Whaaaaaaattt?" came the indignant yell from the bathroom.  
  
"Time's up! My turn!"  
  
Duo appeared a minute later, a towel wrapped around his hair. He'd yanked on a pair of pants and was lightly grumbling. He tossed Quatre a mock glare, but it was clear he was still on cloud nine from dinner as well.  
  
"Mornin'!"  
  
"Good morning, Duo. Got another shoot today?"  
  
"Yup, all day."  
  
"Tell Angel I said hello. Feel like O'Malley's tonight?"  
  
"Sure. Bring Eric, too." With that, Duo walked down the hall toward his room, still humming. Quatre smiled and stepped into the bathroom. He shucked off his jeans and stepped into the shower, quietly singing an Arabian love song to himself. His smile turned into a grin as he secretly hoped the girls would be at O'Malley's that night.  
  
~*~  
  
Duo's mouth was grazing her ear, and Angel forced down a shudder at the contact. Their bodies were close, tense, sweaty. Tension crackled in the air as she tried to concentrate on what the god of a man beside her was saying.  
  
"There's ten of them. That's five each. Think you can handle them without killing?" he asked softly. Angel's eyes met his and she nodded, all serious. Her hands fell on her daggers.  
  
"Of course I can. You know that." The flash of silver in her eyes was reflected by the flash of light on medal as she drew her deadly weapons.  
  
"Hope you're a good shot," Duo muttered under his breath.  
  
"The best," she replied, and they dove from the safety of their cover.  
  
Duo's guns blazed, knocking the guns from the hands of the men down the darkened hall. Angel flicked her wrists, and two volleys of daggers flew through the air, pinning a couple of men to the wall. The next to volleys got the rest, grazing their skin. Duo quickly finished off the others, grazing their hands with bullets. Then he turned to Angel.  
  
"You are the best," he said with a grin, and yanked her against him. His mouth came down on hers. Angel found herself melting against his chest.  
  
"Aaaaaannnddd…cut!" the director yelled. Angel and Duo pulled away from each other. Duo flashed her a lecherous wink and a devilish smile.  
  
"You liked that."  
  
Angel laughed in response. "Who wouldn't? You're a good kisser."  
  
"So're you." He twirled the gun and then holstered it, grinning. "You've been kissed by the best, you know."  
  
Angel shook her head, still laughing. "Oh really? Well…maybe I'll just have to kiss all the guys I know and find out."  
  
Immediately, a line formed. The director was at the front. Angel burst out laughing again. Duo chuckled and tossed her a look.  
  
"I think they like that idea," he commented. Angel beamed at her co- workers.  
  
"I think so, too."  
  
~*~  
  
A few hours later Duo was stepping out of his prized viper. He grinned at the sight of Quatre's convertible Corvette. He strutted toward the door, pleased with himself. He and Angel worked magic on the screen, and she was so much fun. And her friend Aisha was really sweet, too…he made a mental note to get to know Aisha better and to treat Angel to dinner when the movie was done.  
  
Louie was, as usual, shouting orders to the other cooks as he flipped steaks on the grill. Lizzy, his wife, was greeting people at the door. Someday, he decided, he wanted a life similar to theirs. Simple, full of love, and comfortable. One day…one day he'd have that.  
  
He winked at Liz, who flicked a menu his way expertly. She pointed to a table, and Duo turned to see Quatre and Eric locked in a conversation.  
  
"Thanks, Liz! You're the best!" he called over the heads of guests, and walked over to the table.  
  
"Duo!" Quatre got to his feet. "Glad you could make it. You're late," he added.  
  
"Sorry. Had to stop for gas. Man, you won't believe what a good kisser Angel is!" he reported. Quatre and Eric both looked at him in surprise.  
  
"You mean you…" Eric trailed off.  
  
"Yeah, today at the set. For a scene in a movie." Duo grinned arrogantly. "She's sweet."  
  
I bet, Quatre thought, his mood darkening slightly.  
  
"So…did she like it?" Eric was asking.  
  
"Melted like butter on a hot day," Duo answered.  
  
"Hey, my ears are burning. What're you saying about me?" came a female voice. A second later Angel slid into the booth next to Quatre. Duo flashed her a sly, sensual smile.  
  
"Oh, just about how sweet and sexy you are, especially in those leather pants."  
  
Angel grinned. "Well, in that case." She turned. "Good evening Quatre, Eric."  
  
Quatre smiled and slid his lips over Angel's hand. "Evening."  
  
Eric quickly repeated the gesture.  
  
"'Ey! Hands off! She's mine!" Louie called as he walked over, placing a possessive hand on Angel's shoulder. She laughed.  
  
"Hey, Lou. How's business?"  
  
"Booming!" he replied with a laugh. "I came to let you know Mei's on her way out. She was particularly glad to hear you two are here." He nodded toward Quatre and Eric. They both smiled.  
  
"Send her on over," Duo agreed, laughing. "The more the merrier!"  
  
~*~  
  
What an amusing evening, Mei reflected, sliding into bed. She had flirted shamelessly with the three men all night. They were all so handsome…especially Quatre and Eric…  
  
She smiled and let her lashes slip shut. Eric…gorgeous, sweet Eric…handsome Eric…  
  
My Eric…  
  
And sleep claimed her.  
  
~*~  
  
Angel on the other hand, flopped down on her bed. She wasn't used to such blatant attention from men. Duo AND Quatre were flirting with her.  
  
"And I like them both…" she groaned. She burried her face in her pillow. "Ugh…this is a problem." 


End file.
